Eggplant Parmesan

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This has to have been the best Eggplant Parmesan I have ever had.  It is from Cooking Light's September 2010 magazine and is only 319 calories per serving.  There are several steps involved in making this dish, but it is worth the effort.  As always, I made a few changes to my dinner.  I cut the recipe in half because the original recipe makes 10 servings.  I am the only one eating it, and will turn into an eggplant if I try to eat it all.  I also used shredded mozzarella cheese instead of sliced, and omitted the fontina cheese because I didn't have it on hand.  For the pasta sauce, I used Classico's Mushroom and Olive flavor.  The mushroom's and olives added extra texture to each bite to give each bite a meaty and full feeling despite the lack of meat.  

Ingredients

Eggplant:
2 large eggs, lightly beaten 

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1 tablespoon water
2 cups whole-wheat panko (I couldn't find whole wheat panko, so I just used seasoned whole wheat)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I added a little extra to make up for the fontina)
2 (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray 


Filling:
1/2 cup torn fresh basil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese 
1 large egg, lightly beaten 

Remaining ingredients:
1 (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.

3. To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).

4. To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.

Notes:
I lined my pan with foil to help with clean up.  Good thinking on my part.

An egg is difficult to cut in half, so when a recipe calls for a whole egg and you only want half, mix it up and only use half of the mixture.  

I added a little flour to my bread crumbs to help mixture to adhere to the eggplant pieces.  

Mushroom Potpie

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Potpie has always been one of my favorite foods.  When I go to visit my mom, I request her chicken potpie.  I decided to give this Mushroom Potpie a chance when I saw it in Real Simple's November, 2011 issue.  It was delicious.  The thyme mixed with the mushrooms gives it an earthy flavor and the puff pastry crust adds a buttery, crisp bite.  The gravy was a little thin, but thickened as it cooled. 

Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1 1/2  pounds  mushrooms (such as cremini or button), halved, or quartered if large
• 4  carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3  celery stalks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried thyme
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/3  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2  cups  vegetable broth
• 1  cup  frozen peas
• 1  sheet puff pastry (half a 17.3-ounce package), thawed

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the broth and peas; bring to a boil.
2. Transfer the mushroom mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish. Lay the pastry on top and cut several vents in it. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. 

Notes:
If you prefer a thicker gravy, decrease the vegetable broth to 1 cup.